﻿Making a case for the Rebellion

By Jeff Bromley

September 26th, 2000

﻿The rivalry is dead, long live the rivalry.Two different games, two differentcities, two entirely different results. TheKootenay ICE opened the 2000-01WHL season in Calgary and Red Deerthis past weekend and on the surface,things are definitely not as they seem.The season opener in Calgary was atextbook display of the offensivepowerhouse the Kootenay ICE could bethis season. Perhaps lending credence tothe pundits, polls and prognosticatorsthat have the ICE pegged to be thenumber one club in the WHL thisseason. The result? A 7-2 dismantlingof the Calgary Hitmen. In the tilt thenext afternoon against the Red DeerRebels in the Central Alberta city,someone obviously forgot to inform theRebels on the ICE’ coronation aspreordained favorites. Lending furtherbelief that perhaps preseason predictionsand prognostications are better left toastrologists and fortune tellers, theRebels served notice that they will be aforce to be reckoned within the WHL’sCentral division this year with a 4-3decision over the Kootenay ICE.The Hitmen however, was not exactly areplica of the powerhouse club that hasbeen evident in the last few seasons asthe line-up was devoid of WHLexperience as six major contributors tothe Hitmen powerhouse of the last fewseasons were still away at NHL camps.Missing in action were Matt Kinch,Pavel Brendl, Sean McAslan (injured),Cory Hintz, Shaun Sutter and MattPettinger. Kinch, the high scoringdefenseman who has been in the BuffaloSabres/Rochester Americans (AHL)camp was released by the pro club andwas sent down to the Hitmen this week.Look for the Hitmen club that meets theICE in the new Rec/Plex on Oct. 14 tobe very different looking team. Elkfordproduct and Calgary Flames draft pick(4th round – 2000) Wade Davis providedall the Hitmen scoring punch with bothCalgary goals.

The Red Deer Rebels provided thatperhaps the Hitmen/ICE rivalry will notbe the best of the WHL’s CentralDivision this season. Overlooked ascontenders for the division crown thisyear, the Rebels proved that they willpush the Kootenay ICE as title hopefulswith the number one line of JustinMapletoft (2 gms – 10 pts.), ColbyArmstrong and former Kootenay ICEregular Kyle Wanvig who had two goalsfor the Rebels against his former club.Yablonski a T-Bird – The ICEannounced this past week that they havetraded 20 yr old enforcer JeremyYablonski to the Seattle Thunderbirdsfor future considerations. The popularpugilist, while appearing fully recoveredfrom a head injury suffered from anerrant puck a year and a half ago, wassimply a victim of the overage number’sgame. Yablonski has proven he deservesa chance to play in the WHL and withSeattle he’ll get that chance. I wish himall the best. With the trade of Yablonskiand the release of Stacey Bublitz toBeaver Valley Junior B last week, theICE overage count is now down to five.They have until Nov. 1 to pare thatnumber down to the league allotment of three.

Steve who? – Trevor Johnson is doinghis best at making the ICE faithful forgetthat offensive defenseman SteveMcCarthy is still at ChicagoBlackhawk’s camp. Johnson, anoffensively gifted player in his own rightowned the score sheet in Calgary lastSaturday night by registering five assists.In the process, the Trail, B.C. nativebroke three team records – Most pointsin a period (four), Most Assists by adefensemen in a game(five) and mostpoints in a game by a defensemen (five).Injury Update – The ICE lost goalieDan Blackburn halfway through thesecond frame against Calgary due to agroin pull. Blackburn is expected to beout one week B.J. Boxma by all reportswas stellar in relief duty and shouldshoulder the goaltending duties inBlackburn’s absence. This will alsoshelve any trade speculation of Boxma,for the time being.

The ICE are in Kamloops tonight(Friday) and Kelowna Saturday forgames four and five of the ten gameroad trip. Catch the action on EK Radio,570 AM.